Darts is, by its very nature, a game of numbers.
And the myriad of different statistical categories are typically an excellent indicator of future performance. For example, Jonny Clayton won the 2021 Masters with an astounding tournament average of 102.71 – that same year, he went on to triumph in the Premier League, World Grand Prix and the World Series finals in a stellar campaign for the Welshman.
Clayton was the third favourite in the darts betting odds for the 2022 World Championship too at 7/1, and that just goes to show what a difference a year can make in sport – but also how the stats can be used to foresee the future too.
When considering darts betting tips, it’s well worth making the most of your analytical side to consider the stats and numbers that can act as a portent to future successes. With that in mind, here’s five players who can thrive in 2022 based upon their World Championship efforts.
Callan Rydz
A 23-year-old who has won at youth and Challenge Tour level, it was expected that Callan Rydz’s ascendance would continue in the professional ranks.
And his 2021 campaign was true to that, with two pro Tour victories matched by a run to the quarter finals at the World Matchplay.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐓! 👏👏
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) December 23, 2021
Callan Rydz runs riot to thrash Brendan Dolan in straight sets! 🤯
Sensational display from the 23-year-old! 🔥
📺 Sky Sports Darts
#️⃣ #LoveTheDarts pic.twitter.com/rnAYi6tbrb
But it’s Rydz’s numbers at the World Championships that really catch the eye. He was averaging a meaty 97 after two rounds, with ten 180s and a checkout success rate of 48.65%.
And his ability to exert pressure when not throwing first in a leg – averaging 102 – shows just why he is so difficult to beat. Rydz is very much on his way to the top.
Damon Heta
Slow and steady doesn’t always win the race, but it can certainly get the job done in darts.
Epitomising that approach is Damon Heta, the Australian who has made a habit of averaging in the mid-90s and ensuring his opponents have to scrape him off the oche to get the win.
Heta averaged 94.65 in his second-round win over Luke Woodhouse despite throwing just two 180s – that shows the quality of his all-round game.
Florian Hempel
Despite only earning his tour card in 2021, Florian Hempel has enjoyed a stratospheric rise to the upper echelons of darts.
That was embodied by his stunning victory over Dimitri Van den Bergh at the World Championships, where he averaged 98.37 and hit 75% of his darts thrown at a double.
That shows how high the German’s performance ceiling is, and the fact he was shorter priced to win the Worlds – he was into 66/1 at one point – than a proven major champion like Daryl Gurney speaks volumes.
Willie O’Connor
Like Heta, Willie O’Connor may not be as flashy as some of his contemporaries, but he is so tough to beat.
Averaging a rock-steady 94.25 at the Worlds into round three, the Irishman had won 66% of the legs he had played and was averaging 100 with his first nine darts thrown.
William O'Connor marches on! 🇮🇪
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 22, 2021
Great win for the Limerick lad over Glen Durrant at the World Darts Championship, over at the Ally Pally 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/lbJafXTtQp
The upshot? You have to play very well to beat him, which is a useful trait to have in your armoury.
Bradley Brooks
It seems a bit odd to talk up the future of a player who was dumped out in the first round of the World Championships.
But Bradley Brooks, the former world youth champion, offered another glimpse of his undoubted talent, averaging 94.22, throwing six 180s and landing 45.83% of his doubles despite defeat.
That’s just one of the reasons why Brooks, as well as the other four players on this list, can look forward to such a bright 2022.
